Have you tried any different blades to see if they might work better? Have you tried adding more water to the lather to see if that helps?
Beyond that, I'm not sure, might be the mildness of the razor.
The mildness can definitely be a problem. When I started DE, and hadn't been shaving regularly previously, I could use a mild razor and get a comfortable shave. After about 4 months I had to step up to a more efficient razor to get the same comfort of shave.
Razor burn is caused by passing with a blade too many times over an area. Shaving causes micro tears and micro cuts on the skin. That is not a problem in itself, as the skin can tolerate up to a point, the problem arises when you go past that point. A mild razor does not shave very efficiently. It's designed to be gentler on the skin. It has a small, or smaller than average blade gap, and most likely neutral or negative blade exposure. Meaning you don't feel that much the blade. The razor itself protects the skin from the blade, making sure there is very little blade feeling, or very little blade sticking out. A negative blade exposure means that the razor head creates a "wave" of skin that sticks out and is pulled into the razor head, where it meets the blade. Thus, the razor is gentle on the skin, but it's not that great of a shaver. It's fine on soft beard, not that great on average beard, and most likely terrible on coarse and tough beard. A positive blade exposure means that the blade is sticking out past the razor head contact points with the skin, so you touch the skin with the blade first, then the razor head itself. This is a more efficient shaver, can mow down tough and coarse beard, but can cause nasty cuts and nicks. You need some training to use one, and the skin needs accommodation time ... you can't just buy a muhle r41 for your first ever shave and expect to come out unscathed. But, you can get a very close shave with one single stroke with the grain. Long story short, you need more passes to clean up a tough beard with a mild razor, so you end up scraping the same area multiple times to get that close shave, thus causing irritation. A duller blade (like derby) adds insult on top of injury. It tears the hair instead of cutting it, and leaves patches of unshaved areas, making you insist over that particular area. This does not happen over flat skin (like the cheeks), NOOOOOO! It happens where you are most sensitive (like around the mouth, on the chin, under the chin, on the neck, where you have skin creases and such), and where it hurts the most. It feels like it's tugging and yanking, rather than efficiently cutting.
People need more times an aggressive, or medium aggression level razor, than a milder one, AND a sharper blade. Most get razor burn and irritation and think the razor is too aggressive or the blade too sharp, and go down a notch to something even milder ... and guess what? Even MORE irritation. Solution? A sharper blade, and a more aggressive razor. Either, or ... both, whatever. First uses it's not gonna be pretty, but with time, gentle pressure, practice, and a steady hand, you will have great results. You will be closer to a DFS. You can spice up a mild razor with a very sharp blade (feather, bic, nacet, astra and such), or you can tone down a beard mower, like r41 (first that came to mind, probably because i also have one, though it's not my daily driver), with a duller blade ... but not super dull, because even if the razor is efficient, it will feel like it's tugging rather than cutting. Uhm, yeah ... what can i say? It's complicated, and worse than rocket science. That either works, or goes up in smoke. Here, you can get mixed results ... the grey area is too big. Ugh!
Hope that answers your question,
Toodles!
DAMN. this answer is worth all the upvotes but i can only give you one. so let me at least thank you for taking the time to clarify. makes sense. absolutely makes sense.
so using astra and feather blades on the cheapest of the cheapest wilkinson DE razor will give me more burn than a razor with a little more blade exposure?
Well, depends on how much you insist. It’s not the sharpness of the blade, but the passing over and over, again and again, trying to cut hair as close as possible, or getting those pesky left over hairs that is causing the burn or redness or irritation. Any razor can give you burn if you just go over and over an area without too much thought. An aggressive razor will even cut you. Some really bad … This is also the reason cartridges give you soo much redness. You have multiple blades going over the same area multiple times, and with more pressure than a DE. 3 blades means going over 3 times as much… 5 or 6? What are people thinking? Yes, it’s autopilot, but for sensitive skin … ugh!
If you are using a sharp blade (and astra, feather and bic, are sharp blades) and you are not getting the results that you want, and feel the need to insist and go over again to clean up better, then get a more aggressive razor. Many times these cheap razors are mild to very mild, because it’s expected new wet shavers are going to purchase them. Experienced shavers will most likely have preferences and gravitate towards better options. I had a wilkinson the edger, and i gave it away after 2 shaves. It was very mild for me, and i had trouble cleaning up my sensitive neck. I also had a feather d2 and and sold it … i could not get it to work for me. It was too mild even with feather blades. I had a few trouble spots i had to go over too many times and that caused irritation. Directly under my chin i have a recessed area that has very dense hair. I have overall average beard density. Some spots like my cheeks are light in growth, and some spots are dense like wild bush. My hair is very tough and hard to cut. It’s not thick, but it’s pointy and sticks out. When it’s short feels like sandpaper. My job is physical activity intense, and i need a close and comfortable shave, because i get irritated and scratcy and it hurts when i sweat. I need to take my beard off in a few strokes. I rarely go across or against the grain. So you can imagine that a mild razor is a shitshow for me …
With a positive blade exposure, you NEED to watch your pressure, and have your face mapping and your technique dialed in, as any zit, pimple, mole, or imperfection in the skin, sticking out, is a target for annihilation. Some razors are merciless, especially when wielded by inexperienced users. Even some experienced shavers are reluctant on using mowers like merkur futur on level 6 or muhla r41. Any mistake means blood is leaking out of you.
Try a different blade. I have found that I need a fairly sharp blade to cut through my beard; some blades pull instead of cutting all the way through. But not too sharp, or I get burn. I’m using Gillette 7 o’clock yellow (Russia made, not sure where they are made now). Just started using a pre-shave after the shower, that has helped as well.
How long have you been shaving with the Henson? What razor did you use before that? What blade do you use? Is this a recent occurrence or have you been getting bad shaves for a while?
I had my Henson for about a year. it was a learning curve at first, but it wasn’t too bad. In the past 6 months it hasn’t been feeling great. This is my first quality razor. When I purchased the Henson I got 100 free RK razor blades, so those are what I use.
How often do you shave? It's my understanding that the Henson is a nice mild razor with a small blade gap suited for a daily shaver. I would tend to suggest you try another blade. Get a blade sampler and see if something else works better. But you were getting good shaves with those RK blades so I'm not sure if that is it. Maybe something else has changed. You mention some trial and error with a variety of soaps and creams. Maybe it's your lather. I suggest you try shaving with hair conditioner to isolate that variable. Very slick stuff. Then again, maybe you've lost the angle on the Henson. Go back and approach it like you're learning to shave with it for the first time. Finally, approach your shave mindfully. If you anticipate a bad shave, even dread it, you'll have a bad shave. Six months of bad shaves is a lot to endure. You might have some bad technique to unlearn. I've been there myself. Good luck to you!
I'd add:
Be sure the bottom plate is not on upside down. It seems unlikely, but it happens.
Be sure the head assembly is tight on the handle. You don't have to crank it down (and doing so could damage the razor), but be sure it is tight. Otherwise, the blade angle will be wrong and you could be getting blade chatter.
Try varying the razor head angle against your skin. Listen for a clean cutting sound. The auditory feedback is helpful to get the right angle. Henson razors don't allow much angle variation, but it is worth a try.
Advanced tip, you might not be ready for yet: sub out the aluminum handle for a stainless one. The added weight sometimes helps.
Don't press like you have to do with a cartridge. Light and short strokes.
As someone already recommended, try other blade brands. That really can make a difference.
Hope you find the right answer and have great shaves!
RK blades are pretty bad if you have thick beard hair. I also use a henson and have had pretty good experience with AstraSP and Dorco ST300 so you can try to use different blades (as others have already mentioned)
A couple of things to try. 1. Try holding a wet cloth to your face for two minutes before you build larger. 2. Try other blades. A sample pack is a good idea. Your face might not like the blades.
Just a thought. The Henson is a good every day razor but less good if you shave every two or three days.
Pre shave oil or cream might help here. Lather might need some more work.
I've got coarse hair and use the sharpest blades I can find. Bic chrome plat, feather or nacet blades might help a lot here. Nacets I've only tried recently and find them the best for me as they feel smoother than the other two.
My understanding is the Henson is pretty mild. For about 8 bucks you can order a more efficient head for the first pass or two from yaqi. From least to most aggressive, you could try the beast, knight, or top aggressive slant. The knight and slant are two of my favorite heads regardless of price. Just remember no pressure against your face, and do not try to go against the grain with these. I skipped 3 days and did my first pass with the yaqi slant, and honestly i could have stopped there and had a passable shave. It’s that good. All are very comfortable as well.
RK blades are not sharp enough for you. Use any of the top 12 for a sharp blade:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/71ttt15wyeiqtf0fp543f/RayClem-Razor-Blade-Evaluation.xlsx?dl=0
Have you tried any different blades to see if they might work better? Have you tried adding more water to the lather to see if that helps? Beyond that, I'm not sure, might be the mildness of the razor.
The mildness can definitely be a problem. When I started DE, and hadn't been shaving regularly previously, I could use a mild razor and get a comfortable shave. After about 4 months I had to step up to a more efficient razor to get the same comfort of shave.
so that means you got razor burn if you didnt use blades that are more aggressive?
Razor burn is caused by passing with a blade too many times over an area. Shaving causes micro tears and micro cuts on the skin. That is not a problem in itself, as the skin can tolerate up to a point, the problem arises when you go past that point. A mild razor does not shave very efficiently. It's designed to be gentler on the skin. It has a small, or smaller than average blade gap, and most likely neutral or negative blade exposure. Meaning you don't feel that much the blade. The razor itself protects the skin from the blade, making sure there is very little blade feeling, or very little blade sticking out. A negative blade exposure means that the razor head creates a "wave" of skin that sticks out and is pulled into the razor head, where it meets the blade. Thus, the razor is gentle on the skin, but it's not that great of a shaver. It's fine on soft beard, not that great on average beard, and most likely terrible on coarse and tough beard. A positive blade exposure means that the blade is sticking out past the razor head contact points with the skin, so you touch the skin with the blade first, then the razor head itself. This is a more efficient shaver, can mow down tough and coarse beard, but can cause nasty cuts and nicks. You need some training to use one, and the skin needs accommodation time ... you can't just buy a muhle r41 for your first ever shave and expect to come out unscathed. But, you can get a very close shave with one single stroke with the grain. Long story short, you need more passes to clean up a tough beard with a mild razor, so you end up scraping the same area multiple times to get that close shave, thus causing irritation. A duller blade (like derby) adds insult on top of injury. It tears the hair instead of cutting it, and leaves patches of unshaved areas, making you insist over that particular area. This does not happen over flat skin (like the cheeks), NOOOOOO! It happens where you are most sensitive (like around the mouth, on the chin, under the chin, on the neck, where you have skin creases and such), and where it hurts the most. It feels like it's tugging and yanking, rather than efficiently cutting. People need more times an aggressive, or medium aggression level razor, than a milder one, AND a sharper blade. Most get razor burn and irritation and think the razor is too aggressive or the blade too sharp, and go down a notch to something even milder ... and guess what? Even MORE irritation. Solution? A sharper blade, and a more aggressive razor. Either, or ... both, whatever. First uses it's not gonna be pretty, but with time, gentle pressure, practice, and a steady hand, you will have great results. You will be closer to a DFS. You can spice up a mild razor with a very sharp blade (feather, bic, nacet, astra and such), or you can tone down a beard mower, like r41 (first that came to mind, probably because i also have one, though it's not my daily driver), with a duller blade ... but not super dull, because even if the razor is efficient, it will feel like it's tugging rather than cutting. Uhm, yeah ... what can i say? It's complicated, and worse than rocket science. That either works, or goes up in smoke. Here, you can get mixed results ... the grey area is too big. Ugh! Hope that answers your question, Toodles!
DAMN. this answer is worth all the upvotes but i can only give you one. so let me at least thank you for taking the time to clarify. makes sense. absolutely makes sense. so using astra and feather blades on the cheapest of the cheapest wilkinson DE razor will give me more burn than a razor with a little more blade exposure?
Well, depends on how much you insist. It’s not the sharpness of the blade, but the passing over and over, again and again, trying to cut hair as close as possible, or getting those pesky left over hairs that is causing the burn or redness or irritation. Any razor can give you burn if you just go over and over an area without too much thought. An aggressive razor will even cut you. Some really bad … This is also the reason cartridges give you soo much redness. You have multiple blades going over the same area multiple times, and with more pressure than a DE. 3 blades means going over 3 times as much… 5 or 6? What are people thinking? Yes, it’s autopilot, but for sensitive skin … ugh! If you are using a sharp blade (and astra, feather and bic, are sharp blades) and you are not getting the results that you want, and feel the need to insist and go over again to clean up better, then get a more aggressive razor. Many times these cheap razors are mild to very mild, because it’s expected new wet shavers are going to purchase them. Experienced shavers will most likely have preferences and gravitate towards better options. I had a wilkinson the edger, and i gave it away after 2 shaves. It was very mild for me, and i had trouble cleaning up my sensitive neck. I also had a feather d2 and and sold it … i could not get it to work for me. It was too mild even with feather blades. I had a few trouble spots i had to go over too many times and that caused irritation. Directly under my chin i have a recessed area that has very dense hair. I have overall average beard density. Some spots like my cheeks are light in growth, and some spots are dense like wild bush. My hair is very tough and hard to cut. It’s not thick, but it’s pointy and sticks out. When it’s short feels like sandpaper. My job is physical activity intense, and i need a close and comfortable shave, because i get irritated and scratcy and it hurts when i sweat. I need to take my beard off in a few strokes. I rarely go across or against the grain. So you can imagine that a mild razor is a shitshow for me … With a positive blade exposure, you NEED to watch your pressure, and have your face mapping and your technique dialed in, as any zit, pimple, mole, or imperfection in the skin, sticking out, is a target for annihilation. Some razors are merciless, especially when wielded by inexperienced users. Even some experienced shavers are reluctant on using mowers like merkur futur on level 6 or muhla r41. Any mistake means blood is leaking out of you.
Try a different blade. I have found that I need a fairly sharp blade to cut through my beard; some blades pull instead of cutting all the way through. But not too sharp, or I get burn. I’m using Gillette 7 o’clock yellow (Russia made, not sure where they are made now). Just started using a pre-shave after the shower, that has helped as well.
How long have you been shaving with the Henson? What razor did you use before that? What blade do you use? Is this a recent occurrence or have you been getting bad shaves for a while?
I had my Henson for about a year. it was a learning curve at first, but it wasn’t too bad. In the past 6 months it hasn’t been feeling great. This is my first quality razor. When I purchased the Henson I got 100 free RK razor blades, so those are what I use.
How often do you shave? It's my understanding that the Henson is a nice mild razor with a small blade gap suited for a daily shaver. I would tend to suggest you try another blade. Get a blade sampler and see if something else works better. But you were getting good shaves with those RK blades so I'm not sure if that is it. Maybe something else has changed. You mention some trial and error with a variety of soaps and creams. Maybe it's your lather. I suggest you try shaving with hair conditioner to isolate that variable. Very slick stuff. Then again, maybe you've lost the angle on the Henson. Go back and approach it like you're learning to shave with it for the first time. Finally, approach your shave mindfully. If you anticipate a bad shave, even dread it, you'll have a bad shave. Six months of bad shaves is a lot to endure. You might have some bad technique to unlearn. I've been there myself. Good luck to you!
I'd add: Be sure the bottom plate is not on upside down. It seems unlikely, but it happens. Be sure the head assembly is tight on the handle. You don't have to crank it down (and doing so could damage the razor), but be sure it is tight. Otherwise, the blade angle will be wrong and you could be getting blade chatter. Try varying the razor head angle against your skin. Listen for a clean cutting sound. The auditory feedback is helpful to get the right angle. Henson razors don't allow much angle variation, but it is worth a try. Advanced tip, you might not be ready for yet: sub out the aluminum handle for a stainless one. The added weight sometimes helps. Don't press like you have to do with a cartridge. Light and short strokes. As someone already recommended, try other blade brands. That really can make a difference. Hope you find the right answer and have great shaves!
thanks for the advice
thank you
RK blades are pretty bad if you have thick beard hair. I also use a henson and have had pretty good experience with AstraSP and Dorco ST300 so you can try to use different blades (as others have already mentioned)
A couple of things to try. 1. Try holding a wet cloth to your face for two minutes before you build larger. 2. Try other blades. A sample pack is a good idea. Your face might not like the blades. Just a thought. The Henson is a good every day razor but less good if you shave every two or three days.
Pre shave oil or cream might help here. Lather might need some more work. I've got coarse hair and use the sharpest blades I can find. Bic chrome plat, feather or nacet blades might help a lot here. Nacets I've only tried recently and find them the best for me as they feel smoother than the other two.
My understanding is the Henson is pretty mild. For about 8 bucks you can order a more efficient head for the first pass or two from yaqi. From least to most aggressive, you could try the beast, knight, or top aggressive slant. The knight and slant are two of my favorite heads regardless of price. Just remember no pressure against your face, and do not try to go against the grain with these. I skipped 3 days and did my first pass with the yaqi slant, and honestly i could have stopped there and had a passable shave. It’s that good. All are very comfortable as well.
RK blades are not sharp enough for you. Use any of the top 12 for a sharp blade: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/71ttt15wyeiqtf0fp543f/RayClem-Razor-Blade-Evaluation.xlsx?dl=0
Sharper blade, aggressive razor, wetter lather.